Biomass-derived Carbonaceous Materials for Electrocatalysis: A Review B. Sirichandana, Jyothi M S, Swarnalata Swain, Gurumurthy Hegde Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2026 Carbon compounds derived from biomass have some unique structural and compositional properties that have elicited a great deal of attention as potential catalysts for electrochemical applications. Among the myriad advantages they exhibit include their relatively low cost, environmental friendliness, accessibility, and renewable character. The biomass feedstocks of waste biomass and agricultural waste could be used for the production of carbon-based products in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner towards several electrocatalytic applications. Some of the newly developed electrocatalytic processes depend on such research, particularly the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and the reduction of CO 2 nitrate/nitrite reduction,urea oxidation. This review mainly focuses on highlighting the synthesis techniques, structural characteristics, and electrochemical performance of biomass-derived carbon compounds to emphasize their potential as effective electrocatalysts. It underlines the function of carbon materials based on biomass doped with heteroatoms and carbon materials embellished with trace amounts of precious metals or transition metals, added to boost electrocatalytic activity. Further, the multifunctionality of biomass-derived materials is discussed thoroughly in this review article. Moreover, the status of current research, recent advances, and prospects of electrocatalysis by carbon materials obtained from biomass are outlined. It highlights how desirable it is to optimize these materials for applications that can efficiently and sustainably convert and store energy.
Nickel Lanthanum Telluride Nanofibers as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting Akshaya K. Samal, Prangya Bhol, Swarnalata Swain, Tharun Jaikumar, Sayali Ashok Patil, Pramila K. Misra ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2025 Water electrolysis has emerged as a promising pathway for sustainable energy production, highlighting the need for innovative nonprecious bimetallic nanocatalysts to enhance overall reaction efficiency and kinetics. In this study, we report the synthesis and bifunctional electrocatalytic performance of nanoscale nickel lanthanum telluride nanofibers (NiLaTe NFs) for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). These nanostructured fibers were fabricated via a simple oven-based wet chemical route, enabling binder-free in situ growth on Ni foam. Structural analysis revealed a uniform one-dimensional (1D) nanoscale architecture composed of mixed-phase NiTe (hexagonal) and La 2 Te 3 (cubic), with homogeneous nanoscale dispersion of Ni, La, and Te elements. Additionally, the influence of Ni and La precursor ratios on the resulting structural characteristics was systematically investigated by using FESEM. The contribution of elemental Te was also examined to elucidate its impact on the development of the nanofibril morphology. The nanostructured NiLaTe NFs outperformed their monometallic counterparts (NiTe and La 2 Te 3 ) and even benchmark RuO 2, exhibiting low overpotentials of 186 mV for HER and 332 mV for OER, demonstrating efficient performance for overall water splitting. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity is attributed to nanoscale electronic coupling between Ni, La, and Te, which facilitates rapid charge transfer and active site exposure in its bimetallic system as compared with its monometallic counterparts. Moreover, the 1D nanomorphology enhances the surface area and conductivity, further boosting catalytic performance. This work amplifies the critical role of nanoscale engineering in developing high-efficiency, nonprecious bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.
A mini-review on Z and S scheme heterojunction bismuth based photocatalysts towards H2 production, CO2 reduction, and pollutant degradation Arpita Paul Chowdhury, Kurupalya Shivram Anantharaju, Kempaiah Keshavamurthy, Swarnalata Swain, Bogegowda Uma Next Materials, 2025 Using the limitless energy of the sun, photocatalysis offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to clean up the environment and store energy. To overcome the drawbacks of traditional heterojunctions in terms of kinetics and thermodynamics, the step-scheme (S-scheme and Z scheme heterojunction was devised. Interestingly, because of their distinct electrical composition and layered architectures, bismuth-based catalysts have been extensively investigated in a variety of applications. Because the valence band of bismuth-based compounds is made up of hybrid orbitals, the band gap is less, making it easier to migrate photogenerated electron-hole pairs. This review's objective is to study the most recent developments and successes in the creation of Bi based S and Z scheme. First, a summary of the basic ideas behind the formation of heterojunctions was provided. Second, the important uses of S and Z scheme heterojunction photocatalysts in the creation of hydrogen, the reduction of CO2, and the degradation of pollutants were covered. Finally, the article provides valuable insights for future research and development involving in the designing and construction of a Bi-based heterojunction.
2D bifunctional materials: unlocking innovations for efficient water splitting Swarnalata Swain, B. Sirichandana, Prangya Bhol, K. S. Anantharaju, Gurumurthy Hegde Sustainable Energy and Fuels, 2025 Two-dimensional (2D) bifunctional materials have emerged as a transformative class for water splitting due to their exceptional physicochemical properties, high surface area, and tunable electronic characteristics.
Octahedral Pd3Cu7 Catalysts on Diverse Support Materials for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution: Theoretical Investigation and Mechanistic Perspective Swarnalata Swain, Asif Iqbal, Sayali Ashok Patil, Ranjit Thapa, Manav Saxena, Arvind H. Jadhav, Akshaya K. Samal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2023 This work showcases a novel strategy for the synthesis of shape-dependent alloy nanostructures with the incorporation of solid substrates, leading to remarkable enhancements in the electrocatalytic performance. Herein, an aqueous medium approach has been used to synthesize an octahedral PdXCuY alloy of different Pd:Cu ratios to better comprehend their electrocatalytic potential. With the aim to outperform high activity and efficient stability, zirconium oxide (ZrO2), graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs), and hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (hBNNs) solid substrates are occupied to decorate the optimized Pd3Cu7 catalyst with a minimum 5 wt % metal loading. When compared to the counterparts and different ratios, the Pd3Cu7@hBNNs catalyst exhibited an optimal activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The lower overpotential and Tafel values observed are 64 and 51 mV/dec for Pd3Cu7@hBNNs followed by Pd3Cu7@ZrO2, which showed a 171 mV overpotential and a 98 mV/dec Tafel value, respectively. Meanwhile, the Pd3Cu7@GONs were found to have a 202 mV overpotential and a 110 mV/dec Tafel value. The density functional theory, which achieves a lower free energy (ΔGH*) value for Pd3Cu7@hBNNs than the other catalysts for HER, further supports its excellent performance in achieving the Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism path. Moreover, the superior HER activity and sturdier resilience after 8 h of stability may be due to the synergy between the metal atoms, monodisperse decoration, and the coordination effect of the support material.
Computational and Experimental Design of the Octahedral PdFe Alloy Nanocatalyst for Hiyama Cross-Coupling and Environmental Pollutant Degradation Swarnalata Swain, Vishal Kandathil, Golam Masud Karim, Uday Narayan Maiti, Siddappa A. Patil, Akshaya K. Samal ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2023 The research on various bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) is rapidly expanding due to their widespread applications. However, the formation of bimetallic nanostructures in a facile way remains challenging. In the present study, an octahedral (Oh) PdFe alloy nanostructure was designed by following an aqueous medium synthesis strategy. Different metal precursor ratios were varied to observe the change in the shape and distribution of the Oh PdFe alloy nanostructure. Surprisingly, increasing the Fe content directed the finer growth of Oh morphology. However, increasing the Pd amount resulted in an uneven Oh PdFe alloy shape. The catalytic activity of the optimized Oh PdFe alloy was examined for Hiyama cross-coupling, and the degradation of dyes was scrutinized at different pH. The suggested alloy nanostructured catalyst exhibited improved catalytic behavior compared to other nanocatalysts, such as commercial catalyst Pd/C (95%), monometallic Pd Oh (98%), Fe NPs (15%), and PdFe NPs (85%), for the Hiyama cross-coupling reaction. The optimized alloy catalyst with less Pd and more Fe demonstrated 98% yield and excellent reusability up to the fifth consecutive cycle, conveying 80% yield. The stability of the Oh PdFe alloy nanocatalyst and the mechanistic aspects of Hiyama cross-coupling was supported by density functional theory. The degradation of both anionic dyes, Congo red, Eosin Y, and cationic rhodamine B, was performed under normal along with acidic and basic conditions. The degradation reaction was completed in an adequate time interval for all the dyes with no change in the morphology of the synthesized catalyst.
Biomass-derived Carbonaceous Materials for Electrocatalysis: A Review B Sirichandana, J MS, S Swain, G Hegde Journal of The Electrochemical Society 173 (2), 026501 , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Correction to “Nickel Lanthanum Telluride Nanofibers as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting” AK Samal, P Bhol, S Swain, T Jaikumar, SA Patil, PK Misra ACS Applied Nano Materials 8 (47), 22911-22912 , 2025 2025
Fabrication of Sustainable ZnCo2O4 Nanoparticle for Electrochemical Sensing of N2H4 and Microbial Applications K Gurushantha, BS Surendra, T Kiran, M Bhaskar, S Shashidhar, S Swain, ... Topics in Catalysis, 1-14 , 2025 2025
Nickel Lanthanum Telluride Nanofibers as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting AK Samal, P Bhol, S Swain, T Jaikumar, SA Patil, PK Misra ACS Applied Nano Materials 8 (28), 14328-14341 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
A mini-review on Z and S scheme heterojunction bismuth based photocatalysts towards H2 production, CO2 reduction, and pollutant degradation AP Chowdhury, KS Anantharaju, K Keshavamurthy, S Swain, B Uma Next Materials 8, 100918 , 2025 2025 Citations: 22
2D bifunctional materials: unlocking innovations for efficient water splitting S Swain, B Sirichandana, P Bhol, KS Anantharaju, G Hegde Sustainable Energy & Fuels 9 (11), 2870-2899 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Miniaturization on chip nano energy application P Bhol, MB Bhavya, S Swain, M Saxena, AK Samal Nanotechnology in Miniaturization: An Emerging Trend to Fabricate Future … , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Designing PdxCuy octahedra alloy nanocatalysts supported on solid substrates for solvent-free sonogashira cross-coupling reaction: Rational optimization of metal precursors S Swain, AM Antony, SA Patil, AK Samal Materials Today Nano 24, 100416 , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
Octahedral Pd 3 Cu 7 Catalysts on Diverse Support Materials for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution: Theoretical Investigation and Mechanistic Perspective S Swain, A Iqbal, SA Patil, R Thapa, M Saxena, AH Jadhav, AK Samal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 15 (43), 50134-50147 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Computational and experimental design of the octahedral PdFe alloy nanocatalyst for hiyama cross-coupling and environmental pollutant degradation S Swain, V Kandathil, GM Karim, UN Maiti, SA Patil, AK Samal ACS Applied Nano Materials 6 (5), 3254-3267 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
A comprehensive study on heterogeneous single atom catalysis: Current progress, and challenges☆ S Swain, A Altaee, M Saxena, AK Samal Coordination Chemistry Reviews 470, 214710 , 2022 2022 Citations: 70
Cobalt–iron decorated tellurium nanotubes for high energy density supercapacitor P Bhol, S Swain, A Altaee, M Saxena, AK Samal Materials Today Chemistry 24, 100871 , 2022 2022 Citations: 30
Facet dependent catalytic activity of Pd nanocrystals for the remedy of organic Pollutant: A mechanistic study S Swain, BM Shenoy, P Bhol, S Yadav, SR Jena, G Hegde, A Altaee, ... Applied Surface Science 570, 150775 , 2021 2021 Citations: 12
Co-decorated tellurium nanotubes for energy storage applications P Bhol, S Swain, S Jena, K Bhatte, CS Rout, M Saxena, AH Jadhav, ... ACS Applied Nano Materials 4 (9), 9008-9021 , 2021 2021 Citations: 21
Functionalized nanomaterials (FNMs) for environmental applications MB Bhavya, S Swain, P Bhol, S Yadav, A Altaee, M Saxena, PK Misra, ... Functionalized Nanomaterials for Catalytic Application, 109-134 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Synthesis of Functionalized Nanomaterial (FNM)–Based Catalytic Materials S Swain, P Bhol, MB Bhavya, S Yadav, A Altaee, M Saxena, PK Misra, ... Functionalized Nanomaterials for Catalytic Application, 135-168 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Catalytic activity of Au@ Cu2O core-shell nanostructure for the organic pollutant remediation SR Jena, MB Bhavya, SR Manippady, P Bhol, S Swain, M Saxena, ... Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 152, 109935 , 2021 2021 Citations: 16
Modern chemical routes for the controlled synthesis of anisotropic bimetallic nanostructures and their application in catalysis P Bhol, MB Bhavya, S Swain, M Saxena, AK Samal Frontiers in chemistry 8, 357 , 2020 2020 Citations: 59
Controlled Synthesis of Palladium Nanocubes as an Efficient Nanocatalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling and Reduction of p -Nitrophenol S Swain, B MB, V Kandathil, P Bhol, AK Samal, SA Patil Langmuir 36 (19), 5208-5218 , 2020 2020 Citations: 49
Femtomolar detection of thiram via SERS using silver nanocubes as an efficient substrate MB Bhavya, BM Shenoy, P Bhol, S Swain, M Saxena, NS John, G Hegde, ... Environmental Science: Nano 7 (12), 3999-4009 , 2020 2020 Citations: 70
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
A comprehensive study on heterogeneous single atom catalysis: Current progress, and challenges☆ S Swain, A Altaee, M Saxena, AK Samal Coordination Chemistry Reviews 470, 214710 , 2022 2022 Citations: 70
Femtomolar detection of thiram via SERS using silver nanocubes as an efficient substrate MB Bhavya, BM Shenoy, P Bhol, S Swain, M Saxena, NS John, G Hegde, ... Environmental Science: Nano 7 (12), 3999-4009 , 2020 2020 Citations: 70
Modern chemical routes for the controlled synthesis of anisotropic bimetallic nanostructures and their application in catalysis P Bhol, MB Bhavya, S Swain, M Saxena, AK Samal Frontiers in chemistry 8, 357 , 2020 2020 Citations: 59
Controlled Synthesis of Palladium Nanocubes as an Efficient Nanocatalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling and Reduction of p -Nitrophenol S Swain, B MB, V Kandathil, P Bhol, AK Samal, SA Patil Langmuir 36 (19), 5208-5218 , 2020 2020 Citations: 49
Cobalt–iron decorated tellurium nanotubes for high energy density supercapacitor P Bhol, S Swain, A Altaee, M Saxena, AK Samal Materials Today Chemistry 24, 100871 , 2022 2022 Citations: 30
A mini-review on Z and S scheme heterojunction bismuth based photocatalysts towards H2 production, CO2 reduction, and pollutant degradation AP Chowdhury, KS Anantharaju, K Keshavamurthy, S Swain, B Uma Next Materials 8, 100918 , 2025 2025 Citations: 22
Co-decorated tellurium nanotubes for energy storage applications P Bhol, S Swain, S Jena, K Bhatte, CS Rout, M Saxena, AH Jadhav, ... ACS Applied Nano Materials 4 (9), 9008-9021 , 2021 2021 Citations: 21
Morbidity status of the Kondha tribes of Phulbani (Orissa) S Swain, SC Jena, P Singh Cultural and Environmental Dimensions of Health, 177-191 , 1990 1990 Citations: 17
Catalytic activity of Au@ Cu2O core-shell nanostructure for the organic pollutant remediation SR Jena, MB Bhavya, SR Manippady, P Bhol, S Swain, M Saxena, ... Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 152, 109935 , 2021 2021 Citations: 16
Facet dependent catalytic activity of Pd nanocrystals for the remedy of organic Pollutant: A mechanistic study S Swain, BM Shenoy, P Bhol, S Yadav, SR Jena, G Hegde, A Altaee, ... Applied Surface Science 570, 150775 , 2021 2021 Citations: 12
2D bifunctional materials: unlocking innovations for efficient water splitting S Swain, B Sirichandana, P Bhol, KS Anantharaju, G Hegde Sustainable Energy & Fuels 9 (11), 2870-2899 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Octahedral Pd 3 Cu 7 Catalysts on Diverse Support Materials for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution: Theoretical Investigation and Mechanistic Perspective S Swain, A Iqbal, SA Patil, R Thapa, M Saxena, AH Jadhav, AK Samal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 15 (43), 50134-50147 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Computational and experimental design of the octahedral PdFe alloy nanocatalyst for hiyama cross-coupling and environmental pollutant degradation S Swain, V Kandathil, GM Karim, UN Maiti, SA Patil, AK Samal ACS Applied Nano Materials 6 (5), 3254-3267 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Pion nucleus potential from scattering data and a test of charge symmetry S Jena, S Swain Physical Review C 55 (6), 3015 , 1997 1997 Citations: 6
Designing PdxCuy octahedra alloy nanocatalysts supported on solid substrates for solvent-free sonogashira cross-coupling reaction: Rational optimization of metal precursors S Swain, AM Antony, SA Patil, AK Samal Materials Today Nano 24, 100416 , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
A note on calculation of the potential from scattering phase shifts BB Deo, S Jena, S Swain Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General 17 (14), 2767-2771 , 1984 1984 Citations: 5
Biomass-derived Carbonaceous Materials for Electrocatalysis: A Review B Sirichandana, J MS, S Swain, G Hegde Journal of The Electrochemical Society 173 (2), 026501 , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Functionalized nanomaterials (FNMs) for environmental applications MB Bhavya, S Swain, P Bhol, S Yadav, A Altaee, M Saxena, PK Misra, ... Functionalized Nanomaterials for Catalytic Application, 109-134 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Synthesis of Functionalized Nanomaterial (FNM)–Based Catalytic Materials S Swain, P Bhol, MB Bhavya, S Yadav, A Altaee, M Saxena, PK Misra, ... Functionalized Nanomaterials for Catalytic Application, 135-168 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Pion-helium potential by inverse scattering method BB Deo, S Jena, S Swain Physical Review C 32 (4), 1247 , 1985 1985 Citations: 3